Understanding Is Not Forgiving
by MarMarBinks
Summary: After saving Brambleclaw in a battle against Shadowclan, they meet up at night to stare at the stars.  What will come of the meeting? Awkwardness or acceptance of past betrayals?


**A/N: **This is one of my favorite pairings and I hope that Brambleclaw finally forgives her (though I have little hope of it now). Oh well, you can't do much about it...except write fanfiction! :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Warriors

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><p>Screeches sliced the air like claws. The battle was vicious, one that any warrior would be proud to win, but hesitant to participate in. Shadowclan, who was known for their aggressive fighting, was battling as if their opponents were an oversized group of badgers.<p>

And Thunderclan was matching them stride for stride.

The long-abiding tension that had always existed between the two clans was being let out in this battle. No hatred was pushed down, no past friendships brought up. This was the big one and no one was letting it go without lots of bloodshed.

Squirrelflight ducked, Olivenose's paw whipping over her head. Hissing in frustration, the Shadowclan warrior reared onto her hind legs. Squirrelflight rose to meet her. They started to bat at each other; their paws were blurs as they pelted into each other's bodies. Olivenose's claws flashed in the moonlight as they sliced over the dark ginger she-cat's head, scratching her ear. The Thunderclan warrior hissed in pain before delivering a hefty blow to her opponent's head. Dizzying, Olivenose fell down to all fours, shaking her head. Taking the opportunity, Squirrelflight leaped onto the tortoiseshell she-cat's back, causing her legs to buckle from the unexpected weight. Digging her claws into her shoulders, Squirrelflight held her in place as she peddled Olivenose's flank, leaving long, deep scratches. Dealing one last hefty gash, the dark ginger she-cat leaped off her opponent's back. The Shadowclan warrior raced off, wailing in pain.

Toadstep and Crowfrost rolled by her, their black and white bodies merging into one as they flattened the blood covered ground even more. Her Clanmate seemed to have it under control, so she left him to his business. Turning, she saw Brambleclaw and Rowanclaw ferociously battling it out. Each were trying to gain the top position. Their bodies writhed as they did so. The Thunderclan deputy found himself on top, but before he could land any hefty blows, the ginger tom twisted beneath him, flipping them so that he had the dominant stand. He held the dark brown tabby tom down firmly so that the tired attempts to free himself were to no avail. His fangs glistened from his saliva as he hissed in Brambleclaw's face and began to lower his teeth to the other deputy's throat.

With a shriek, Squirrelflight flung herself at Rowanclaw. His eyes widened in surprise as she tackled him to the ground and attacked his sides. _How dare he? _She thought, enraged. How dare he attack her...her what? What was Brambleclaw to her? They were no longer mates, but she still loved him. _How dare he attack my love!_ Her momentary pondering allowed him to push her off him. He turned to face her, snarling. She felt Brambleclaw rise beside her; their brushing fur caused a shiver to run through her. The broad-shouldered tom clawed at the Shadowclan deputy's ears while Squirrelflight striked his already injured flanks. Rowanclaw fled away from them, bellowing his pain.

Brambleclaw turned to her. The sounds of battle vanished from her ears and nothing distracted her from him. He blinked once. Twice. "Squirrelflight, I...um...I-" What she assumed to be an attempt at a thank you was cut off by the screeching battle cry that sounded right beside them. Their heads snapped sideways just in time to see Hazeltail lunge at Starlingwing who was currently bashing Mousewhisker's head. All at once, the noise of fighting flooded back to her and, with a curt nod in her direction, Brambleclaw raced off to claw some unlucky Shadowclan warrior. With a remorseful look at his retreating form, she turned and followed suit, in the other direction.

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><p>Squirrelflight situated her body again and winced. Her injured shoulder throbbed with each movement she made. It also made it very difficult to get comfortable.<p>

"Great Starclan, Squirrelflight!" Brackenfur exclaimed angrily. "Keep still!"

"Sorry," she muttered. After a few more irritating and agonizing minutes, the dark ginger she-cat stood carefully so as not to pain her shoulder too severely and cautiously weaved her way around the sleeping bodies.

The camp was unusually quiet. Most of the warriors had been seriously wounded during the exhausting battle. It had seemed to get more and more vicious as time continued. At one point, she had been scared it would never end. Then, just as the day had been beginning to end, Blackstar called for his warriors to retreat. The cats hesitantly left, though not without random lashes at the closest cat and threats of revenge. Thunderclan had then dragged itself back to camp where Jayfeather had rushed from body to body. Leafpool had jumped in to help along with Cinderheart and no one questioned whether she should or not. That's when the camp had fallen silent as the warriors plopped their bruised and battered bodies into comfy nests for a much-needed rest.

Now, Squirrelflight slowly crossed the camp toward the entrance. Jayfeather had told her to rest her shoulder so as not damage it even more, but she couldn't stay here. She needed to be in the fresh air of the forest, far away from a far too crowded den. She squeezed through the entrance.

"Squirrelflight?"

The ginger she-cat jumped at the soft mew and turned to see Cinderheart. She had been chosen to guard the entrance since she had only minor wounds. "What are you doing up?" She now asked.

"I couldn't get to sleep."

"Huh. I thought everyone'd be exhausted after _that_ battle." The gray she-cat pondered for a second before asking, "Are you just going for a walk, then?" Squirrelflight nodded. "Alright. Be careful; don't want to hurt your shoulder even more." The leader's daughter nodded a farewell before trotting slowly into the underbrush.

Squirrelflight breathed in the sharp night air, sighing with contentment. There was nothing like some fresh, forest air to soothe the racing nerves. Walks always helped her clear her mind. She wandered aimlessly through the forest, though she made sure to avoid the scene of the battle. Her mind was elsewhere so she didn't see the dip in the ground as her paw plummeted farther than she expected, jerking her injured shoulder. Hissing in pain, she slowly and carefully stretched her leg out. It was unpleasant, but it made the larger agony give way to a small, bearable ache.

After ambling about for a while, the scent of water hit the ginger she-cat. She inhaled it deeply, enjoying the moisture that would disappear as leaf-bare grew closer. She found herself walking towards it, lured by the life it seemed to bring. At the edge of the forest where, after a short expanse of grass, the ground sloped down to collide with the lake, she saw a form sitting at the top of the bank. Peering closer, she saw the vague outline of a cat. Curious, she padded closer. As she approached, the broad-shoulders and strong limbs became more visible and she stopped short. _Brambleclaw! _She couldn't go talk to him! He hated her! She should just leave. But, for some reason, he legs propelled her forward. She felt her longing to speak to him, to be alone with him. It was strong and overruled all fear within her.

The crackle of a leaf sounded as she stepped on it and his head shot up in surprise. He stared at her questioningly; his head slightly cocked. His gaze was wary, almost guarded, but still she approached. She sat beside him; close, but not so much as their pelts would be brushing. He returned his eyes to the sky where they had rested before she arrived and she followed suit. The stars twinkled in Silverpelt and she wondered if Starclan was looking down on them right now. Did they know how much pain she was going through with this tom? Did they know how much she had given up just to protect her sister?

"I didn't get to thank you earlier," Brambleclaw's deep, rich voice broke the silent night. "For saving my life." He turned his head and their eyes met; green and amber colliding. Squirrelflight loved his eyes. They reminded her of the deep rich colors of a sunrise or the last dying embers of a fire. She could get lost in them for moons.

"It was nothing, really," she replied, slightly embarrassed.

The deputy stared at her for a moment more before standing and, nodding a quick good night, began up the slope. She watched his muscular figure slip through the darkness. When he reached the edge of the forest, he stopped. Turning his head around to look at her, his beautiful eyes gleaming the dark, he said, "I understand. Why you did it."

He didn't need to say more for the dark ginger she-cat to instantly know what he was speaking of. He was refering to the betrayal she had delivered when she claimed her sister's kits for her own and lied to the whole clan, including her mate. Brambleclaw had been upset, feeling she didn't trust him. It was because of that whole ordeal that the pain she felt when she looked at the tom happened.

At his statement, her eyes widened considerably, hardly able to believe what she heard. "Do you-"

"Forgive you?" He finished for her. It reminded her of when they'd been together. They would lovingly finish each other's sentences and then purr so excitedly at the affection they felt for each other. Where had that all gone? "I don't know. I'm...I'm still trying to figure that part out." With that, his dark pelt disappeared in the undergrowth.

Hope filled Squirrelflight from the tips of her claws to the tops of her ears. Their relationship, their love might have a chance. She couldn't describe the joy that swept over her heart. Other than when they'd been mates, she'd never felt so elated. She dreamed about taking late-night strolls with him, sharing freshkill with him, curling up in a joined nest, and feeling his tail twine with hers. She would wait for him. She'd done it this long, she could do it some more. Whenever he was ready, she'd be there. Then they'd once again finish each other's sentences and purr excitedly at the affection they felt for each other.

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><p><strong>AN: **Reviews, please! I love them as much as I love this pairing. :)


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